Martin County High School is home to one of five teams vying for the 2025 North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition.
Chefs Jasmine Roberson, Miley Harrington, and Ryan Windley, all seniors at Martin County High School, accepted the challenge of creating a recipe suitable for school lunch. This process began with the trio in Joyner’s Culinary Arts I class.
According to April Joyner, Family and Consumer Science instructor at Martin County High School, the recipe must include two products grown in North Carolina. It must also meet sodium and calorie and all other guidelines for National School Lunch Program nutrition standards. On top of everything else, the meal should be created with student tastes in mind.
The team, known as Cloudy With A Chance Of Pasta, had to develop a work plan for executing their meal - Chicken Parmesan Pasta with a side salad and homemade Apple Cider Vinegarette Dressing. Their plan also included a cost breakdown of the meal.
The Gator Chefs are going up against teams from Ashe County High (Ashe County Schools), Garinger High (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), Martin County High (Martin County Schools), Northern High (Durham Public Schools) and Thomasville High (Thomasville City Schools) will compete as finalists in the statewide cook-off.
Cloudy With A Chance of Pasta spent Friday afternoon in the kitchen perfecting their final product for submission.
For the recipe contest phase of the competition, teams submit applications with recipes, a nutrient and cost analysis and recipe photos. Based on a review of applications and recipes submitted, finalist teams are selected to advance to the cook-off phase of the competition.
Stay tuned to see if the Gator Chefs advance.
For the cook-off phase of the competition, teams will submit a video of their student chefs preparing and plating their school lunch entrée recipe. Along with the video, teams will resubmit their applications, recipes, recipe photos, and nutrient and cost analysis, incorporating feedback from the recipe review panel. In addition, they will turn in a work plan for how they will prepare their dish within the 90-minute time limit. Teams will present their dishes during virtual, live interviews with a panel of evaluators. Evaluators can ask questions and share feedback with the teams during the interviews.
Teams will be evaluated for their ability to work together to demonstrate valuable skills in recipe development, food preparation, safety and sanitation, organization and presentation, as well as knowledge of nutrition, farm-to-school principles and local food systems.
All NC Jr. Chef finalist teams will be recognized and will be invited to participate in a virtual awards ceremony with their families, teachers, principals, School Nutrition directors, superintendents and public information officers. Team members will receive NC Jr. Chef coats, hats and aprons along with certificates and medals based on team scores. First, second and third place teams will receive plaques to display in their schools, and the first-place team will have the honor of hosting the competition trophy until the next cook-off. Sullivan University in Kentucky will offer scholarships to the student members of the top three teams. The first-place state team will advance to the 2025 Southeast Jr. Chef Competition.
The Jr. Chef Competition was created to inspire the next generation of culinary professionals, stimulate interest in locally produced agriculture, increase participation in School Nutrition Programs, provide nutrition education and encourage healthy eating habits. The NC Jr. Chef Competition was planned by the Offices of School Nutrition and Career and Technical Education at the NC Department of Public Instruction in partnership with the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ Farm to School Program and the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina.
Additional information about the North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition is available online. More information regarding School Nutrition Programs in North Carolina can be found on the NCDPI Office of School Nutrition website.